China has apparently changed its mind and now says Beijing's Panchen Lama is too young for politics. The Dalai Lama's choice for Panchen Lama remains hidden somewhere, probably under arrest. having undergone years of "re-education."

India, the world's largest democracy, is tightening ties with Burma. They are neighbors after all. Can India use its considerable leverage to ameliorate the situation? Time will tell, but first the money has to start flowing. Imagine your next-door neighbor beats up his wife. But he sells you lots of things you want very cheaply and lets you park your RV in his driveway. This is India's dilemma.

Three days of fighting have left 99 Sri Lankans dead -- 90 rebels and 9 government soldiers. Sri Lankan army chief G. S. Fonseka is in northern India to talk about arms deals. The death toll in 2008 in the Sri Lankan conflict may approach 2,000. The Sri Lankan navy picked up a drifting boast full of Burmese and Bangladeshi passengers. Officials believe the vessel may be linked to a human smuggling operation.

An interesting account of four UNESCO sites in Maharashtra, where Mumbai is located. Portuguese soldiers used to use the Elephanta caves, in an island in Mumbai's harbor, for target practice.

You may have noticed some intense activity on the blog post Gandhi. The complicated issue of how Gandhi is viewed by various constituencies in India and around the world is a big topic, one that will perhaps be addressed in a future issue of Tricycle. But it certainly has been educational to hear from those, especially the Ambedkarite Buddhists, who have posted here on this issue, so thank you for that.